Barack Obama’s rise in politics was so rapid, and his background so unusual, that he was immediately subjected to malicious myths — from the bogus story that he was raised Muslim to the lie that he wasn’t born in the United States.

Alter says there are five genuine misconceptions about the presidency:

That Obama is a socialist

That he's a tool of Wall Street

That he's an effective public speaker

That his stimulus package failed

That he's a weak leader

Guest:

Jonathan Alter, columnist for Bloomberg View, author of "The Promise: President Obama, Year One"